Dispenser
The dispenser's innovative design with check valves, pistons, and a restriction ring addresses the nozzle detachment issue, enabling secure operation and foamed liquid discharge with tamper-evidence and resource conservation.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024124411
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-31
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-13
AI Technical Summary
The dispenser's nozzle (operating tube) is prone to coming off upward when set in an inverted position, posing a risk during operation.
A dispenser design featuring a liquid cylinder, air cylinder, and control cylinder with check valves, pistons, and a restriction ring to prevent the operating tube from coming off upward, while allowing foaming and easy installation.
Prevents the operating tube from disengaging upward, ensures easy setup, and allows for foamed liquid discharge without backflow, with tamper-evident features and improved sealing.
Smart Images

Figure 2026022846000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser. [Background technology]
[0002] As an example of a dispenser, a hand washing detergent dispenser that dispenses a mixture of fluid and ozonated air from a discharge port onto a user's hand is known, as shown in Patent Document 1 below (see Figure 23 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-90834 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0004] The dispenser is set in an inverted position on the device, as shown in Figure 26 of Patent Document 1. The device is configured to dispense the content liquid from the dispenser by moving a movable part that engages with the nozzle of the dispenser up and down using a motor or the like. When the dispenser is set in the device, the nozzle is pulled out upward, and there is a risk that the nozzle (operating tube) may come off at that time.
[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser that can prevent the operating tube from coming off upward. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] (1) A dispenser according to the present invention comprises a liquid cylinder disposed above the mouth of a container body in which a liquid content is stored and having a liquid chamber therein that communicates with the inside of the container body; an air cylinder formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that surrounds the liquid cylinder from the outside in the radial direction and having an air chamber therein; an operating cylinder that has a gas-liquid mixing chamber in which the liquid chamber and the air chamber communicate with each other and a nozzle hole that communicates with the gas-liquid mixing chamber and discharges the liquid content, and is disposed so as to be movable up and down relative to the liquid cylinder and the air cylinder; and an operating cylinder that allows the liquid content to move from the inside of the container body toward the liquid chamber and that discharges the liquid content. The control tube is provided with a first check valve that prevents the movement of the liquid content from the chamber into the container body, and a second check valve that allows the movement of the liquid content from the liquid chamber toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber and prevents the movement of the liquid content from the gas-liquid mixing chamber into the liquid chamber, and the control tube is provided with a liquid piston that pressurizes and depressurizes the liquid chamber in conjunction with the up and down movement of the control tube, and an air piston that pressurizes and depressurizes the air chamber in conjunction with the up and down movement of the control tube, and a restricting ring that faces the control tube in the up and down direction is fitted into the upper end opening of the air cylinder and restricts the upward movement of the control tube.
[0007] With the dispenser according to the present invention, when discharging the liquid content, the control cylinder is pushed in to move it downward toward the container body, thereby moving the liquid piston and the air piston in conjunction with the control cylinder. By pressurizing the liquid chamber by moving the liquid piston, the second check valve can be opened while keeping the first check valve closed. This allows the liquid content in the liquid chamber to be supplied toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber without backflowing into the container body. At the same time, the air chamber can be pressurized by moving the air piston, allowing the air in the air chamber to be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber. Therefore, the content liquid can be foamed by mixing the content liquid with air in the gas-liquid mixing chamber, and the foamed content liquid can be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole. Here, a restricting ring is fitted into the upper end opening of the air cylinder, facing the operating tube in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the dispenser is set into the equipment, the operating tube hits the restricting ring when it is pulled upward, preventing the operating tube from coming out upward. In addition, the restricting ring stops the operating tube in a fixed position, making it easy to set the dispenser into the equipment.
[0008] (2) A cap may be provided which is connected to the restriction ring via a breakable weakened portion and covers the nozzle hole.
[0009] In this case, the weakened portion is broken and the cap is removed when the dispenser is used, making it tamper-evident (TE). In addition, the presence of the cap eliminates the need to shrink-wrap the entire dispenser, contributing to resource conservation.
[0010] (3) The regulating ring may include a guide tube that slides against the outer peripheral surface of the operating tube and guides the operating tube in the up and down direction.
[0011] In this case, the regulating ring is equipped with a guide tube, which prevents the control tube from tilting. This also eliminates the need to provide a flange on the control tube to prevent tilting, easing restrictions on the shape of the control tube and allowing, for example, to improve sealing performance by providing two seals on the air piston, one above and one below. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the dispenser of the present invention, the operating tube can be prevented from coming off upward. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which the cap is removed from the dispenser shown in FIG. 1 and the operating cylinder is pulled up. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a half cross-sectional view of a restriction ring and a cap shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a half cross-sectional view of the operating cylinder shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a configuration in which the dispenser shown in FIG. 1 is applied to an automatic dispenser. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment comprises a cylinder body 2 that is attached to the mouth of a container body A in which the liquid content is stored, and an operating tube 3 that fits into the cylinder body 2 so as to be movable up and down and has a nozzle hole 3a that dispenses the liquid content.
[0015] Unless otherwise specified, each component of the dispenser 1 is a molded product made of synthetic resin material. Furthermore, the liquid content contained in the container body A is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include liquid detergent, fabric softener, bleach, shampoo, body soap, hand soap, facial cleanser, and cosmetics. However, the liquid content is not limited to this, and any liquid that can be dispensed in foam form, such as liquid seasoning, can be used.
[0016] In this embodiment, the cylinder body 2 and the operating tube 3 are arranged coaxially with the central axis (container axis O) of the container body A. Hereinafter, the operating tube 3 side along the container axis O will be referred to as the upper side, and the container body A side will be referred to as the lower side, and the direction along the container axis O will be referred to as the up-down direction. Furthermore, in a plan view seen from the up-down direction, the direction intersecting the container axis O will be referred to as the radial direction, and the direction going around the container axis O will be referred to as the circumferential direction.
[0017] The container body A can be in various forms, such as a pouch, a bag-in-box, a double container (also called a delaminated container or a peelable laminated container), etc. A male screw portion is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the mouth of the container body A. In particular, when a pouch, bag-in-box, double-layered container, etc. is used as the container body A, there is no need to replace the air inside the container body A, so it is possible to prevent, for example, outside air or moisture from entering the container body A, which is hygienic and makes it easier to maintain the quality of the content liquid.
[0018] The cylinder body 2 comprises a liquid cylinder 10 disposed above the mouth of the container body A, and a cylindrical air cylinder 20 with a bottom disposed so as to radially surround the liquid cylinder 10 from the outside. The bottom wall of the air cylinder 20 is formed in an annular shape and is connected radially to the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the liquid cylinder 10. The bottom wall of the air cylinder 20 is disposed above the upper opening edge of the mouth of the container body A via a packing 21.
[0019] An attachment tube 22 is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the air cylinder 20, extending downward and surrounding the mouth of the container body A from the outside in the radial direction. An internal thread is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the attachment tube 22, which screws into the mouth of the container body A. As a result, the entire cylinder body 2 is attached to the mouth of the container body A by threaded connection. However, the method of mounting the cylinder body 2 is not limited to screw connection, and it may be mounted by, for example, undercut fitting.
[0020] The liquid cylinder 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending upward from the radially inner edge of the bottom wall of the air cylinder 20. An annular lower valve seat portion 11 that protrudes radially inward is formed at the lower end of the liquid cylinder 10. An inlet hole 12 through which the content liquid flows from the container body A is formed in the center of the lower valve seat portion 11.
[0021] A liquid chamber R1 for storing the liquid content is formed inside the liquid cylinder 10 and communicates with the inside of the container body A through the inlet hole 12. A first check valve 30 is also provided inside the liquid cylinder 10 to allow the liquid content to move from inside the container body A toward the liquid chamber R1 and to suppress the liquid content from moving from the liquid chamber R1 into the container body A.
[0022] The first check valve 30 comprises a topped cylindrical fitting member 31 and a valve body 32. The fitting member 31 is fitted inside the lower end of the liquid cylinder 10. A communication hole (not shown) is formed in the top wall of the fitting member 31, penetrating the top wall from top to bottom. This allows the liquid contained in the container body A to flow into the liquid chamber R1. However, the fitting member 31 does not have to be formed in a topped cylindrical shape, and may be formed, for example, in a ring shape that fits inside the liquid cylinder 10.
[0023] The valve element 32 is formed, for example, in a circular shape in a plan view, and releasably seats on the lower valve seat portion 11 from above, thereby releasably closing the inlet hole 12. The valve element 32 is connected to the fitting member 31 via elastically deformable elastic arms. A plurality of elastic arms are connected to the fitting member 31 at intervals in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the first check valve 30 of this embodiment is a multi-point valve (for example, a three-point valve) having a plurality of elastic arms. However, the first check valve 30 is not limited to a multi-point valve, and a known valve structure (check valve) may be used as appropriate.
[0024] The air cylinder 20 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that is larger in diameter than the opening of the container body A and the mounting cylinder 22. An air chamber R2 is formed inside the air cylinder 20 (annular space between it and the liquid cylinder 10). An annular flange 23 that protrudes radially outward is formed at the upper end of the air cylinder 20.
[0025] The air cylinder 20 is formed so as to protrude above the liquid cylinder 10. It is to be noted that the air cylinder 20 does not need to protrude above the liquid cylinder 10, and may, for example, be of approximately the same height as the liquid cylinder 10, or may be formed so as to be lower than the liquid cylinder 10. An annular recess 24 is formed inside the upper end opening of the air cylinder 20.
[0026] The control cylinder 3 is arranged so as to be able to move up and down relative to the liquid cylinder 10 and the air cylinder 20. The control cylinder 3 is equipped with a nozzle cylinder 40, a liquid piston 50, and an air piston 60. The nozzle cylinder 40 is arranged between the liquid cylinder 10 and the air cylinder 20, and is formed in the shape of a cylinder with a top that surrounds the liquid cylinder 10 from the outside in the radial direction. A nozzle hole 3a that discharges the content liquid is formed so as to penetrate the top wall of the nozzle cylinder 40 in the vertical direction.
[0027] A ring-shaped operating flange 41 that protrudes radially outward is provided near the top wall of the nozzle cylinder 40. The operating cylinder 3 configured as described above can be operated up and down using the operating flange 41. For example, the content liquid can be discharged from the nozzle hole 3a by pushing it toward the container body A from the raised position shown in FIG. 2. When in use, the dispenser 1 is in an inverted position with the nozzle hole 3a facing downward, as shown in FIG. 5, which will be described later.
[0028] 1, the liquid piston 50 is disposed within the liquid cylinder 10 and the nozzle cylinder 40. The liquid piston 50 includes a cylindrical liquid piston cylinder 51 with a bottom that opens upward, a liquid seal portion 52 provided at the lower end of the liquid piston cylinder 51, and an upper end fitting portion 53 provided at the upper end of the liquid piston cylinder 51.
[0029] The upper end fitting portion 53 is located above the liquid cylinder 10 and is fitted into the nozzle cylinder 40. The liquid seal portion 52 is located inside the liquid cylinder 10 and is in slidable contact with the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder 10. The liquid seal portion 52 is formed in an annular shape that extends continuously in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of the liquid piston cylinder 51. In the example shown in the figure, the liquid seal portion 52 is a sealing member such as an O-ring, but it may also be in the shape of a lip that tightly contacts the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder 10, for example.
[0030] An air hole 54 that passes radially through the liquid piston cylinder 51 is formed in a portion of the liquid piston cylinder 51 that is located above the liquid seal portion 52. As a result, the inside of the liquid piston 50 is in communication with the air chamber R2 through the air hole 54. Furthermore, a communication hole 55 that passes radially through the liquid piston cylinder 51 is formed in a portion of the liquid piston cylinder 51 that is located below the liquid seal portion 52. As a result, the inside of the liquid piston 50 is further in communication with the liquid chamber R1 through the communication hole 55.
[0031] An upwardly extending cylindrical upper valve seat portion 57 is formed inside the liquid piston cylinder 51 and above the communication hole 55. A downwardly protruding seal cylinder 56 is formed at the lower end of the liquid piston cylinder 51. The seal cylinder 56 tightly engages with the inner circumferential surface of the liquid cylinder 10 when the liquid piston 50 is pressed downward. This makes it possible to seal the liquid chamber R1 using the seal cylinder 56.
[0032] The air piston 60 is formed integrally with the lower end of the nozzle cylinder 40. The air piston 60 is formed in a flange shape so as to protrude radially outward from the lower end of the nozzle cylinder 40, and is provided with a first air seal portion 61 and a second air seal portion 62 on its outer circumferential edge.
[0033] The first air seal 61 has a lip shape that extends downward radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the air piston 60. The first air seal 61 is formed in an annular shape that extends continuously in the circumferential direction, and is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the air cylinder 20 so as to be able to slide.
[0034] The second air seal portion 62 has a lip shape that extends upward radially outward from the outer peripheral edge of the air piston 60. The second air seal portion 62 is formed in an annular shape that extends continuously in the circumferential direction, and is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the air cylinder 20 so as to be able to slide.
[0035] When the control cylinder 3 is pressed down, the air piston 60 configured as described above can pressurize the air chamber R2 in conjunction with the downward movement of the control cylinder 3. This makes it possible to supply air from the air chamber R2 to the gap between the upper opening edge of the liquid cylinder 10 and the liquid piston 50, and to the inside of the liquid piston 50 through the air hole 54.
[0036] A gas-liquid mixing chamber R3, which communicates with the liquid chamber R1 and the air chamber R2, is formed inside the liquid piston 50. A second check valve 70 is provided in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 (inside the liquid piston 50) to allow the liquid to move from the liquid chamber R1 toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 and to suppress the liquid from moving from the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 to the liquid chamber R1.
[0037] The second check valve 70 includes an annular frame body 71 fitted inside the upper end fitting portion 53, a valve body 72 seated on the upper valve seat portion 57 from above so as to be able to separate from the upper valve seat portion 57, and a coil-shaped connecting spring 73 connecting the frame body 71 and the valve body 72. The frame body 71 is combined integrally with the liquid piston 50.
[0038] The connecting spring 73 is disposed coaxially with the container axis O, with its upper end integrally connected to the inner circumferential surface of the frame body 71 and its lower end integrally connected to the valve body 72. The connecting spring 73 presses the valve body 72 from above against the upper valve seat 57. This allows the valve body 72 to be releasably seated on the upper valve seat 57.
[0039] A spring guide 81 of the support cylinder 80 is disposed radially inward of the connecting spring 73. The support cylinder 80 is formed in the shape of a topped cylinder whose outer diameter changes in multiple stages, and its upper end is fitted inside the nozzle cylinder 40 at a position above the frame body portion 71. The spring guide 81, which is conical in cross section and extends downward, is provided on the bottom wall of the support cylinder 80. The spring guide 81 supports the connecting spring 73 from the radially inner side.
[0040] A plurality of communication holes 82 are formed at intervals in the circumferential direction on the bottom wall of the support cylinder 80, radially outward of the spring guide 81. The communication holes 82 communicate between the inside of the liquid piston cylinder 51 and the inside of the support cylinder 80. A foaming member 83 that foams the content liquid mixed with air is fitted into the upper end opening of the support cylinder 80. The foaming member 83 is, for example, a mesh body attached to the upper and lower openings of the cylinder, and is positioned directly below the nozzle hole 3a.
[0041] A restriction ring 90, which faces the control cylinder 3 in the vertical direction and restricts the upward movement of the control cylinder 3, is fitted into the upper end opening of the air cylinder 20. The restriction ring 90 is equipped with a fitting cylinder 91, a flange 92, and a guide cylinder 93. The fitting cylinder 91 is suspended downward from the outer edge of the restriction ring 90. On the outer circumferential surface of the fitting cylinder 91, multiple annular protrusions 91a that fit into the inner circumferential surface of the air cylinder 20 are formed spaced apart in the vertical direction.
[0042] The flange 92 extends radially outward from the upper end of the fitting cylinder 91. The flange 92 is formed in an annular shape that goes around the fitting cylinder 91. The flange 92 abuts from above against a recess 24 formed inside the upper end opening of the air cylinder 20. The upper surface of the flange 92 is flush with the upper end surface of the air cylinder 20. The restriction ring 90 is positioned and fixed in the vertical direction relative to the air cylinder 20 by the flange 92 and multiple annular protrusions 91a.
[0043] The restriction ring 90 is inclined upward from the upper end of the fitting cylinder 91 toward the radially inward direction. The guide cylinder 93 is suspended downward from the inner edge of the restriction ring 90. The guide cylinder 93 comes into sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the operation cylinder 3, and guides the operation cylinder 3 in the up and down direction. Specifically, the guide cylinder 93 comes into sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the nozzle cylinder 40 below the operation flange 41, and guides the operation cylinder 3 in the up and down direction.
[0044] A rib 42 is provided at the lower end of the nozzle cylinder 40, facing the lower end of the guide cylinder 93 in the up-down direction. The rib 42 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate, and is provided at the corner between the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the nozzle cylinder 40 and the upper surface of the air piston 60. As shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of ribs 42 are provided at intervals in the circumferential direction along the outer circumferential surface of the lower end of the nozzle cylinder 40. The plurality of ribs 42 come into contact with the lower end of the guide cylinder 93, thereby restricting the upward movement of the control cylinder 3.
[0045] As shown in Fig. 1, a cap 100 is connected to the inner edge of the restriction ring 90 via a breakable weakened portion 110. The cap 100 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a top, and covers the nozzle hole 3a of the operation cylinder 3. A step portion 101 is formed on the peripheral wall of the cap 100, and abuts against the upper surface of the operation flange 41 from above. In addition, an engaging protrusion 103 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall of the cap 100 below the step portion 101, which engages with the lower surface of the operation flange 41 from below.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 3 , a plate portion 102 is formed on the peripheral wall of the cap 100 so as to straddle the step portion 101. When viewed from the top-bottom direction, multiple plate portions 102 are provided radially from the container axis O. The weakened portion 110 can be broken by placing a finger on the plate portion 102 and rotating the cap 100. The weakened portion 110 connects the lower edge of the cap 100 and the upper edge of the restriction ring 90 with multiple thin connecting pieces spaced apart in the circumferential direction. Note that the weakened portion 110 may be, for example, a partially thinned portion or perforations, as long as it can be easily broken.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the dispenser 1 configured as described above has the cap 100 attached during product distribution, storage, or the like. In this state, the cap 100 presses down the control tube 3. When in use, the cap 100 is rotated to break the weakened portion 110, and as shown in FIG. 2, the cap 100 is removed. Then, the control flange 41 or the like is grasped and the control tube 3 is pulled upward. Thereafter, the dispenser 1 is placed in an inverted position and set in the automatic dispenser 200 shown in FIG. 5.
[0048] Next, a case where the content liquid is discharged using the discharger 1 configured as described above will be described. 5, in the initial state, the movable part 201 of the automatic dispenser 200 is engaged with the operation flange 41. The movable part 201 is movable in the up and down direction by a motor (not shown).
[0049] The operation of the movable part 201 is controlled by a control part (not shown), and is operated, for example, based on an output signal from a proximity sensor (not shown). When a palm of a hand is brought close to the nozzle hole 3a, the proximity sensor detects the palm and sends an output signal to the control part. Based on the output signal, the control part operates the movable part 201 to move the control tube 3 upward.
[0050] In particular, depending on the type and application of the automatic dispenser 200, the movable part 201 may be connected to the automatic dispenser main body (not shown) via a rotatable pivot arm. In this case, the movable part 201 moves up and down along an arcuate path by pivoting the pivot arm. Even in such a case, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment uses the guide tube 93 of the regulating ring 90 to guide the movement of the control tube 3, so that the control tube 3 is less likely to tilt due to the movement of the movable part 201 along the arcuate path.
[0051] When discharging the liquid content, the movable part 201 moves upward, which pushes the control cylinder 3 toward the container body A, moving the liquid piston 50 to pressurize the liquid chamber R1, and also moving the air piston 60 to pressurize the air chamber R2.
[0052] By pressurizing the liquid chamber R1 with the liquid piston 50, the first check valve 30 can be maintained in a closed state, and the liquid contained in the liquid chamber R1 can be supplied to the inside of the liquid piston 50 through the communication hole 55. As a result, the valve body 72 of the second check valve 70 moves away from the upper valve seat 57 while elastically deforming the connecting spring 73 due to the pressure of the liquid contained therein. This allows the second check valve 70 to open, and liquid to be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3.
[0053] At the same time, by pressurizing the air chamber R2 with the air piston 60, the air in the air chamber R2 can be supplied through the air hole 54 into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 located inside the liquid piston 50. Therefore, the foaming member 83 can foam the content liquid while mixing it with the air, thereby generating foamy content liquid.
[0054] Specifically, the content liquid and air can be merged and mixed in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 to produce a gas-liquid mixture. The gas-liquid mixture passes through the mesh of the foaming member 83 inside the support cylinder 80, turning into a predetermined fine foam. This produces foamy content liquid, which can be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole 3a.
[0055] After the liquid content is discharged, the movable part 201 moves downward, allowing the operation tube 3 to be pulled out. When the operation tube 3 is pulled out, the liquid piston 50 is moved to reduce the pressure inside the liquid chamber R1, and the air piston 60 is moved to reduce the pressure inside the air chamber R2.
[0056] By reducing the pressure inside the liquid chamber R1 with the liquid piston 50, the first check valve 30 can be opened with the second check valve 70 closed, allowing the liquid to be filled into the liquid chamber R1. In addition, by reducing the pressure inside the air chamber R2 with the air piston 60, air can be filled into the air chamber R2 through the nozzle hole 3a, allowing preparation for the next discharge.
[0057] Thus, with the dispenser 1 according to this embodiment, when discharging the content liquid, the control cylinder 3 is pushed in to move it downward toward the container body A. This allows the liquid piston 50 and the air piston 60 to move in conjunction with the control cylinder 3. By pressurizing the liquid chamber R1 by moving the liquid piston 50, the second check valve 70 can be opened while keeping the first check valve 30 closed. This allows the liquid content in the liquid chamber R1 to be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 without backflowing into the container body A. At the same time, the air chamber R2 can be pressurized by moving the air piston 60, so that the air in the air chamber R2 can be supplied into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3. Therefore, the content liquid can be foamed by mixing the content liquid with air in the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3, and the foamed content liquid can be produced. As a result, the foamed content liquid can be discharged to the outside through the nozzle hole 3a. Here, a restriction ring 90 that faces the control tube 3 in the vertical direction is fitted into the upper end opening of the air cylinder 20. Therefore, when the dispenser 1 is set in the automatic dispenser 200, as the control tube 3 is pulled upward, the control tube 3 hits the restriction ring 90 as shown in Fig. 2, preventing the control tube 3 from coming out upward. In addition, the restriction ring 90 stops the control tube 3 in a fixed position, making it easier to set the dispenser 1 in the device.
[0058] As explained above, the dispenser 1 of this embodiment comprises the liquid cylinder 10, which is disposed above the opening of the container body A in which the liquid is stored and which has therein a liquid chamber R1 which communicates with the inside of the container body A; the air cylinder 20, which is formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom and which surrounds the liquid cylinder 10 from the outside in the radial direction and which has therein an air chamber R2; the operation tube 3, which has the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 in which the liquid chamber R1 and the air chamber R2 communicate, and the nozzle hole 3a which communicates with the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 and which discharges the liquid, and which is disposed so as to be movable up and down relative to the liquid cylinder 10 and the air cylinder 20; The control cylinder 3 is provided with a first check valve 30 that accommodates the liquid in the liquid chamber R1 and prevents the liquid from moving from the liquid chamber R1 into the container body A, and a second check valve 70 that allows the liquid to move from the liquid chamber R1 into the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 and prevents the liquid from moving from the gas-liquid mixing chamber R3 into the liquid chamber R1, the control cylinder 3 is provided with a liquid piston 50 that pressurizes and depressurizes the liquid chamber R1 in conjunction with the up and down movement of the control cylinder 3, and an air piston 60 that pressurizes and depressurizes the air chamber R2 in conjunction with the up and down movement of the control cylinder 3, and a restriction ring 90 that faces the control cylinder 3 in the up and down direction is fitted into the upper end opening of the air cylinder 20 and restricts the upward movement of the control cylinder 3. With this configuration, the control cylinder 3 can be restricted from falling out upward.
[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cap 100 is connected to the restriction ring 90 via a breakable weakened portion 110 and covers the nozzle hole 3a. With this configuration, when using the dispenser 1, the weakened portion 110 is broken and the cap 100 is removed, thereby achieving tamper-evident (TE) properties. Furthermore, the presence of the cap 100 eliminates the need to shrink-wrap the entire dispenser 1, which contributes to resource conservation.
[0060] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the restriction ring 90 is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the control tube 3 and is provided with a guide tube 93 that guides the control tube 3 in the up and down direction. With this configuration, the restriction ring 90 is provided with the guide tube 93, which makes it possible to prevent tilting of the control tube 3. This also eliminates the need to provide a flange on the control tube 3 side to prevent tilting, alleviating restrictions on the shape of the control tube 3, and making it possible to improve sealing performance by providing seals in two places, one above and one below, on the air piston 60 (a first air seal portion 61 and a second air seal portion 62).
[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The present embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the present embodiments and their modifications include, for example, those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are equivalent.
[0062] For example, in the above embodiment, the ejector 1 is used in an inverted position with the nozzle hole 3a facing downwards, but this is not limited to this case, and it may also be used in an upright position with the nozzle hole 3a facing upwards. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the operating tube 3 is electrically operated, but the dispenser 1 may also be applied to a dispenser that is manually operated. [Explanation of symbols]
[0063] 1 Dispenser 2 Cylinder body 3 Operation tube 3a Nozzle hole 10 Liquid cylinder 11 Lower valve seat 12 Inflow hole 20 Air Cylinder 21 Packing 22 Mounting tube 23 Tsuba 24 Hollow 30 First check valve 31 Fitting member 32 Valve body 40 Nozzle cylinder 41 Operation flange 42 Ribs 50 Liquid piston 51 Liquid piston cylinder 52 Liquid seal part 53 Upper fitting part 54 Air vent 55 Flow hole 56 Seal tube 57 Upper valve seat 60 Air Piston 61 First air seal 62 Second air seal 70 Second check valve 71 Frame body part 72 Valve body 80 Support tube 81 Guide 82 Communication hole 83 Foam materials 90 Regulatory Ring 91 Fitting tube 91a Annular protrusion 92 flange 93 Guide tube 100 Cap 101 Multilayered section 102 Board part 103 Engagement protrusion 110 Weakened part 200 Automatic Dispenser 201 Moving parts A Container body O Container axis R1 liquid chamber R2 air chamber R3 Gas-liquid mixing chamber
Claims
1. a liquid cylinder disposed above an opening of a container body in which a liquid is contained, the liquid cylinder having a liquid chamber therein that communicates with the inside of the container body; an air cylinder formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom that surrounds the liquid cylinder from the outside in the radial direction and has an air chamber therein; an operating cylinder having a gas-liquid mixing chamber in which the liquid chamber and the air chamber communicate with each other, and a nozzle hole in which the gas-liquid mixing chamber communicates with each other and discharges the liquid contained therein, the operating cylinder being arranged so as to be movable up and down relative to the liquid cylinder and the air cylinder; a first check valve that allows the liquid to move from inside the container body toward the liquid chamber and prevents the liquid from moving from the liquid chamber into the container body; a second check valve that allows the liquid to move from the liquid chamber toward the gas-liquid mixing chamber and suppresses the liquid from moving from the gas-liquid mixing chamber to the liquid chamber, The operating cylinder is a liquid piston that pressurizes and depressurizes the liquid chamber in response to the up and down movement of the operating cylinder; an air piston that pressurizes and depressurizes the air chamber in conjunction with the up and down movement of the operating cylinder, A restricting ring is fitted into the upper end opening of the air cylinder, facing the operating tube in the vertical direction and restricting the upward movement of the operating tube. Dispenser.
2. a cap connected to the restriction ring via a breakable weakened portion and covering the nozzle hole; The dispenser of claim 1 .
3. The restriction ring includes a guide tube that is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the operation tube and guides the operation tube in the up and down direction. A dispenser according to claim 1 or 2.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Ozone foam dispenser
JP2021090834A